President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena visited the "Nicholas welcomes friends"festive park for children and adults, which will work near the Office of the President during the New Year holidays.
The guests on the square near the President's Office were congratulated on the upcoming holidays by artists performing "Shchedryk". Saint Nicholas lit holiday lights on the Christmas tree.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded that the square on Bankova Street has been creating a holiday for Ukrainians for the second year in a row, and noted that the work of the festive area near the President's Office has already become a pleasant tradition.
"New Year's holidays are an opportunity to spend more time in the family circle. I hope that the festive park on Bankova will become one of the favorite locations of Kyiv residents and guests of the city for a walk with the family," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during the opening of the venue.
The First Lady shared the story of creating toys that decorate the central Christmas tree of the square.
"This year's Christmas tree is unusual. It is decorated with toys, sketches for which were drawn by children with special educational needs," Olena Zelenska said.
According to the President's wife, about a month ago her team turned to organizations that work with children with special educational needs and offered to join the creation of Christmas decorations.
"According to the plan, we needed drawings of children that could be transferred to baubles. I am very grateful that almost 50 organizations responded and sent us about 600 children's drawings! We put a hundred of them on toys and decorated the Christmas tree with them,” the First Lady of Ukraine said.
The children who sent their drawings received holiday gift sets from St. Nicholas.
The presidential couple wished Ukrainians a Happy New Year and walked around the festive park. In particular, they visited the residence of St. Nicholas, bought some Christmas souvenirs and tasted fragrant mulled wine.